Home Motivation Highs and Lows of 2019

Highs and Lows of 2019

by Tanya Agarwal

In 2019, I lived the worst and the best together. Yes – it’s possible to have such a life. My life’s ECG graph ( as a dear friend describes) has peaked and fallen in steeps this year. But let’s do this. I’ll keep my personal life and especially my kids away from this blog. Let this be – about Wellthyfit.com and Tanya as a woman, a runner, a writer.

Highs

 – My First Full Marathon

I developed wings during the training of my first full marathon – So now you’ll say, she is such a romantic, player of words and blah blah blah. But I will fail to convince you that I really had wings by the time I stood at the start line of the run on 24th February 2019. The satisfaction that came from training and running a full is hard to explain and I shall leave it at that. No point trying to give words to a surreal training experience. Agree? or maybe if you read my blog on my first FM, you might come slightly close to the feeling. My biggest high this year.

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 – Being a part of Nike – No Bra No Sport Campaign

To be asked to be a part of Nike’s worldwide campaign, to be one of the 6 flagbearers in India along with my friend Nikita Seth and to be a voice urging women to make better fitness gear choices is an HONOR I’ll never part ways with. Nikita and I had founded the Shed It Run Movement in India in 2018. Nike Singapore tracked our work down in this field and made us a voice in India. On two campaigns in Mumbai, we urged women to wear good sports bras without which our physical fitness journey won’t start at the right footing. Work aside, the pampering during this campaign was a delight. Want to know more about Shed It Run? Click here.

I became a TEDx Speaker

I have thought about it so many times especially after I gave the talk. I don’t know what your take from this talk is but I haven’t been able to see the whole thing in one go and that says a lot about me! Now you think – then why is this a high? Meeting/ hearing the people I was sharing the stage with was one of the best part about it. And then an opportunity to speak with 100+ MBA students who are shaping their lives and are willing to hear you out…was something.  I really enjoyed meeting the other Tedx speakers and if I may add – that I shared the stage with some amazing people like Bhaichung Bhutia.

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Guest of Honor for 6th Pardada Pardadi Half Marathon

I was invited as a Guest of Honor for the Pardada Pardadi Run at Anupsher this year. To be a guest of honor, to flag a run for 2700 kids and adults, to run on the streets of western UP with 1300 girls who look upto you as an inspiration – I don’t know if I felt so humbled and flattered at the same time ever this year. You should read about PPES here to understand what they do.  In simple words, it is a Rural Development Centre that is working relentlessly towards breaking patriarchy in Western UP by creating education, employment for girls and women in that area.  I danced with the girls, also gave a small speech, but mostly I enjoyed seeing how empowered people are trying to make the under privileged families understand the role of education and physical fitness in their daughters’ lives. Felt like a dream. Pinched myself couple of times.

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Some of the Features I made it to this year:

The Hindu – Delhi Girls on Mumbai Hoardings.  Read the feature here.

Did my first Podcast with Muncher Podcast. Talked all about WellthyFit.com and my work on it as a blogger. The youtube link to the podcast is here.

I do What I believe in – My Second Biggest High.

I do what I believe in so I don’t do brand collaborations that are meaningless to me.  I never recommend anything to my readers that I have not personally used, experienced and loved.  It’s hard to keep a blog unadulterated with volumes of brand collaborations which could financially mean a lot, but this is where my high comes from. I also don’t like working for freebies at all.  In 2018 and more in 2019, I completely stopped working for free for exposure.  I’ve done my fair share of all that, but the fitness/ health industry has evolved a lot in the last two years. I work hard continuously to find people who are doing good work and who find value in me. Money is not my ultimate goal. But I don’t sell my work cheap to anyone. I value my work, charge well for it mainly because it’s my time away from my kids.

I turned 40 this year – Life fact

Is that a high? Maybe. Maybe Not. Just a life fact on me. I wanted to travel, go on a hike – but I settled for a lovely lunch with a bunch of women who care for me.  Whatever the numbers on me be, I want to stay motivated, curious, humble, resilient and fearless. I don’t have a bucket list for life. Yes – I do seek. I like to live a slow life now. It has everything to do with priorities and how I use my time ( am learning). I live in the moment, except when it’s about my children.

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Lows

Cruelty Around me. My Nation:

Last few months, I found myself battling with the world I belong and don’t belong to. Priyanka Reddy, the girl who was raped and burnt in Hyderabad, her traumatic ending and the madness around the shooting down of the accused – left me disillusioned as a mother and a woman. I shuddered for a week while I left for my pre-dawn runs in Gurgaon. Fear has set in me and outdoor early mornings. And largely I worry about the well being of women of our country – every woman. How do I raise a girl in this environment? How do I tell her that she can fight some battles but not may be all? How badly I need to alert her about the people in this world. I am so tired of talking to myself on how to talk to her about the good and bad of the people.

It’s not my professional low. It’s my big low as a woman. Being independent, educated, having the means – NOTHING can keep us safe anymore.

I went speechless in pain watching the videos of Jamia kids being beaten in Delhi recently. One constant thought has nagged me almost everyday while all this has happened. Everywhere people are angry, reacting and hurting each other. Me too.

Felt the Marathon Void:

I started 2019 with training for a full marathon. After the run was over, a part of me felt empty. I craved feeling the exhilaration, satifaction and tiredness that came from ticking on weekly plans. The long distances inspired me to rethink life. I kept running, lower mileage but directed my energies towards a pure postures practice in yoga. There was tremendous progress on this side. As a runner, I have to work harder on my yoga practice and flexibility. Lesser mileage led to better yoga postures. Towards the end of the year, I restarted my training for a full marathon and as life has plans, I got injured. But I won’t whine, I have started working, I will come back stronger.

All Dots Not Connecting

Some of my projects that I worked a lot at the backend for, didn’t come through and kept falling out for some reason or the other. 2020 will see me working towards making a few happen.

What’s for 2020, for me?

I’ll keep this one really short – I want to chose courage over comfort.

Have you reflected on your highs and lows for 2019? What kept you going? What are you looking forward to in 2020. Goals set? 

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    Author

    • Tanya Agarwal
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      Welcome to Wellthyfit.com! Wellthyfit is my ‘writing venture’ on health and wellness and a constant reminder that health is our only everlasting wealth! Who am I - you can read here. But at the core of it all, I’m a mom who loves to run!

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    2 comments

    Neel Banerjee January 1, 2020 - 12:42 pm

    All the power to you Tanya! May this new year be much bigger than 2019 and the lows, which are going to be there, be less low and you have the courage and tenacity to overcome the odds. All the best for 2020. And we are meeting soon!

    Reply
    Tanya Agarwal January 1, 2020 - 4:10 pm

    See you soon ! And yes – we keep striving.

    Reply

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